On the 1st Day of Advent

the Craft Oracle sent to you...

A card with her favourite 'Christmas Trees' on...


Can you believe it only 24 days till Christmas.. How's the shopping going? Well I have bought absolutely nothing...


It is amazing the things we take for granted... the simple Advent Calendar. Every year thanks to my personal shopper (because I always forgot or was too busy or ran out of time) K always had an advent calendar, and this year I have all the time in the world and can I even find one??? When I ask my family and friends where they get their kids advent calendars from, it's either never heard of them or the bulk of the replies are " yes we remember those as kids, you used to get cheap chocolates in the windows" and thus ends the conversation.... Unlike over 'there' where every supermarket is filled with them, here they are unheard of, never seen. Some others I have spoken to (ex pats) they make their own coz they don't know what they are here... I remember having advents calendars as a kid and I grew up here; so someone has lost out on an opportunity.... K will have a home made one next year that's for sure and I may even start a trend in the shop.... Bev I'm gonna steal your idea...

I've found me a new friend!!! (and probably one of my first new customers) Went to a 'Craft Open Day' last week, very 'different' but managed to pick up a pack of acetates with father and son descriptions on, got chatting to another lady who was flicking through the box of bits I was and she's from Surrey and used to attend a Scrapbooking class at a local lady here who has since quit... Now she has a few friends that are 'crafters and scrapbookers' that also used to go to the same classes and they get together regularly but are running out of ideas between themselves, and one of them just happens to also be an accountant who works from home and has just started out and is looking for new clients... You know the saying ' it's not what you know, it's who you know!'

So in 1 chance meeting I probably have met my first customer and my new accountant...

Well I've now got to get my company registered here before I can start trading, and my accountant is going to do this all for me, but I have to give them 3 choices of names,this is in case someone objects to my name or it is similar to someone elses (SA rules) obviously you know my first choice 'Giglin-Gecko' (not sure if I want to add the Crafts bit) I may even add 'Crafty Bits' or Craft Stuff or Craft ..... , I don't know if I can just give them 3 names all with GG in and add the other bits as above?? She's not sure either... So any ideas gang? Paul had a few interesting ones but ' content may be deemed offensive'

Ok yet again last weeks weather!!! Monday to Wednesday wet, rain, cold, miserable, misty, wet, cold - get the message.... Then Thursday sun shine yes the sun has returned from his vacation... OOPs he forgot his suitcase and he went back on leave again on Friday... Saturday we woke up to 'heat' the type of which I had forgotten, not a breath of air, sun beating down, it was wonderful... At least 32c. K went straight in the pool when he got up... It was so hot all day and even when the sun went down there was no air and it was an effort to move... Sunday we woke to rain, cold, fog, mist, wet and so cold I thought I had returned to UK overnite... K woke this morning with the sniffles and he actually complained that he was cold. And seems winter has returned again... So I just don't know.

House .... Yes well no fine! nothing else to say. Thinking I may just open up a mud spa... I might make more money that way, and it would be all au natural... I could get away with a 'log cabin' on the land (for the spa guests not for crafting!!!!)'meoww!!! put the claws away.

K has 4 more days of school then he is on Christmas Vacation until 21st January!!!! Really looking forward to that - not. No truthfully it's only 2 weeks to P getting here and I hope he realises how much father - son time they're gonna do!!! He's got 3 months to catch up on. Plus we've got a few jobs around the house for P to do... poor guys gonna need another break when he gets back... I really hope the sun shine arrives for him, cos he's gonna be upset if he's colder here than there... He has to go back with a tan...

And Remember : When life hands you lemons, Ask for Gin and Tonic and call me over!!